234 N. Hampshire. Med. Dept., Dartmouth Coll.. Hanover. Pennsylvania. Jefferson Medical College. . Philadelphia. Med. Dept., Univ. of Penn. South Carolina, Med. Coll. of State of S.C. TABLE II. RESULTS OF CORRESPONDENCE WITH TWENTY-THREE MEDICAL COLLEGES, SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HYGIENE AND PHYSICAL CULTURE GIVEN BY THESE INSTITUTIONS, EXISTING IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 1 See correspondence from Alabama, Buffalo, Harvard, and Miami Medical Col. leges, and from Medical Department of University of Pennsylvania. 2 See correspondence from Harvard Medical College. A glance at the above data seems to show that, 1. Only a little more than one-third of the colleges pay any attention to Public or Private Hygiene. 2. A still smaller proportion notice State Preventive Medicine. 3. Only about one-fifth have special professors and special courses of instruction in Hygiene. 4. About one-half say they have subsidiary teaching, given by various professors in other departments. FACTS AND EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS FROM THE MEDICAL COLLEGES. 66 Medical College of Alabama, Mobile. A chair of Public Hygiene was established in this college in 1871. A professor was appointed. Medical jurisprudence was added to, or made part of the same chair; but very nearly the entire course was taken up with lectures on Public and Private Hygiene." Medical Department of University College, San Francisco, Cal." A few lectures have usually been given on Hygiene during the preliminary course; but no special attention has been paid to the subject." Medical Department of Yale College, Connecticut.—"Only in a superficial way," in connection with other professorships. National Medical College, Washington, D.C. "We have no means of promoting physical culture in the Medical Department." Atlanta Medical College, Atlanta, Ga. "I am sorry to say that nothing has been done in our school. It is an important subject, and I am glad you are giving it attention." Rush Medical College, Illinois. - Instruction on Hygiene given by professors of physiology and materia medica. New Orleans School of Medicine, Louisiana. - Instruction in Hygiene, only subsidiary. Medical Department of University of Louisiana. "All the professors" lecture on hygiene. Harvard Medical School. Has a "lecturer" (not professor) on Hygiene, who delivers "a special course." Medical Department of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. Some years ago a special course of instruction in Hygiene, public, domestic, personal, and mental, was given to the students in the literary departments, and was appreciated by them; but was dropped, partly on account of funds, partly for want of time, and partly in deference to the prejudices of some who regarded it as an innovation, and who seemed to fear a materialistic tendency from the professor, who, though a believer in Orthodox Christianity, was not a narrow one. We have no special professor on Hygiene in the Medical College, though a good deal of Hygiene is taught with other branches. The hygienic management of different diseases receives special attention; and, in the lectures on Pathology, etiology is made prominent. In the lectures on Physiology, too, the subject of food and drinks is discussed; and, in the lectures on Chemistry, the subject of ventilation is made a specialty, illustrated by models of houses; and disinfection, drainage, poisons, &c., are thoroughly taught: but there is no regular consecutive course on Hygiene in the medical course. In the Medical Department, lessons are given by the Professor of Physiology and Pathology. Medical Department of Dartmouth College. - Instruction in Private Hygiene; but no lectures on Hygiene, save in connection with other departments. Albany Medical College." In the past, no chair of Hygiene; but Dr. I. S. Hooker has just been appointed to such a professorship, and probably a full course of lectures will be given." Buffalo Medical College. - Hygiene, Private and Municipal, is taught in the "preliminary terms," from October 1 to November 1. Private Hygiene is the special type in this department (Materia Medica and Hygiene). During the regular term, Municipal Hygiene is taught in lectures, in connection (alternately) with therapeutics. This plan has been followed the past. three years. I am very glad to find that a systematic effort to gain positive information is being undertaken. Miami Medical College, Ohio. — Regular instruction is given in Public and Private Hygiene and State Preventive Medicine, during the spring session, which is naturally a prolongation of the winter or regular session. The course consists of about sixteen lectures, illustrated by diagrams. The chair proper is that of Anatomy. The writer then continues as follows:1 "In 1865, after my return from the army, I became Superintendent of Health of this city, which I held for eight years; and I succeeded in placing the health department of this city on a permanent footing. I procured an Act from the Legislature, providing for the establishment of Boards of Health for all cities and larger towns in the State. I thus became much interested in sanitary science. I have learned its importance to the public, as well as to individuals. Hence the reason for my assuming the duty of an extra course of lectures on this subject. I am endeavoring to work up our State Medical Society to the necessity of having a State Board of Health.” Jefferson Medical College. No regular systematic course of lectures upon Hygiene is delivered. Short practical courses have been, and are still, occasionally delivered during the spring, summer, and fall months. During the winter months, instruction upon Hygiene is given, more particularly by the Professor of the Institutes of Medicine. This is, however, incidental or subsidiary to the physiological course proper. The impurities of water and atmosphere, ventilation, and kindred subjects, are discussed in the course on Chemistry. Army, navy, and hospital Hygiene receives attention from the Professor of Surgery and Practice. By this division of labor, a great deal of practical information upon hygienic science is imparted to the class, although no special chair is devoted to the subject. A Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania. three-months' course, of thirty-four to thirty-six lectures, is given in the Medical Department every spring, on Personal and Public Hygiene, by the Professor of Hygiene in the Auxiliary Department. South Carolina Medical College, State of South Carolina. Only in connection with general pathology and therapeutics. 1 The remarks of my correspondent illustrate very well the truth of my statement in the address, of the influence of the war upon the private practitioner, by convincing him of the great value of preventive medicine.-H. I. B. |